Monday, September 15, 2008

Tales From The Crypt ...

You know the saying, time flies when you're having fun? Well, let me tell you that it's absolutely true! I had a great weekend and before I even realized it, Monday just happened to come by so darn quick. You all know how I hate Mondays right? The only consolation is so far my Monday is moving along pretty well. But then, the day is still young and Monday could just ambush me a little later.

Anyways, let's not talk about Mondays. I'm a little free at the moment and thought I'd write about something I've been wanting to write for quite sometime but never got around to it cos it always slips my mind. But last night, I was watching this new local series (I think) called Front Page. It's about the happenings in a magazine publication house and last nights story was about the supernatural.

I didn't really finish watching the entire episode cos wifey didn't want to watch it as she was freaked out by it and me being the worlds biggest coward wasn't going to watch a show on the supernatural all on my own so I switched the TV off and headed to bed. But it did remind me that I wanted to write about the supernatural quite sometime back but kept forgetting about it.

I don't know if you all still remember a couple of months back, I wrote about my short childhood supernatural experiences when I was living in Port Dickson. Anyway here's a quick recap. I lived in this seaside town for a few years cos my dad was working there at the time. We were assigned government quarters to live in and to get to the quarters, we had to pass four different cemeteries belonging to four different religions. And our quarters was secluded deep inside this quiet area surrounded by a clump of secondary jungle.

Now back then, my family didn't own a car and taking the bus was our only means of transportation. My dad had a motorbike, a nice cool looking Vespa but he was at work most of time and would work at odd hours cos he was a fault finder for the National Electricity Board (now Tenaga Nasional) and if there was a breakdown (which happened quite a bit those days) he would be out for a long time.

So mostly my mom took care of everything around the house. And when we had to do shopping, we would need to walk out a long way pass this narrow road surrounded by a thick canopy of trees and we would have to pass all four cemeteries to get to the main road and wait for a bus. The walk out took us about 15 minutes or so. That was how deep inside the quarters were from the main road.

Now, the place wasn't all that spooky by day. It was nice and quiet and really serene since it was tucked away deep inside and away from the main roads. I even played in the cemeteries with the neighbour kids and wasn't even bothered by it. Back then, my cowardly streak hadn't materialized yet ... LOL!

But come night fall, the place would take a turn for the worse. We had no road lights along this narrow road and the place would take on an aura of spookiness. Just imagine the jungle around us coupled with the fact that we lived right opposite the Chinese cemetery (which was really no big deal) made the place seem like something out of a horror movie. Us kids were always warned about not playing outside later than 6 or 7pm and we were all in the house by 8pm.

In the early days of us staying there, my mom and me would go out shopping, visit my grandmother who was the caretaker of this beach bungalows a couple of miles away and come back way after the sun sets. Back then we'd buy things like meat and as much groceries as we could carry in the bus and the place was so dark that we had to use a torch light to walk along the narrow roads. I remember clinging to my mom in fright as we'd pass the cemeteries one by one. I remember looking straight ahead not daring to look left and right for fear of seeing a ghost or something.

At that time we didn't know certain things about buying meat and coming back late at night and passing a cemetery didn't go well together. As we were passing the Hindu cemetery, there was this very sweet smell which my mom told me to ignore and don't mention anything about it. The air physically chilled by a few degrees and we hurried along home as fast as we could.

Nothing untoward happened but when we reached home and mom was putting the stuff away, she discovered all the meat that she had bought turned black, like as if it had whatever blood in it sucked dry! It looked on the verge of being rotten. My mom was not too happy, she thought the meat seller sold us rotten meat. I know for a fact the meat looked fresh when we first bought it but then I was a little boy, so what do I know. Mom threw the meat away and thought nothing of it.

A week later, we went shopping again and came back a little late and just as we passed the Hindu graves, the same smell of sweetness permeated through the air again and the temperature dropped down a notch or two. Once again, we hurried along and once again mom discovered the meat was rotten and black. This time her curiosity was piqued. Buying rotten meat twice in a row couldn't be a coincidence. So she went over next door and showed the meat to one of our neighbours.

That was when we discovered that under no circumstances were we to buy meat and pass the cemetery at night, especially the Hindu one as there was news about this person who practiced black magic who died under mysterious circumstances and was buried there. And according to folklore, his soul is not at peace and he seeks vengeance for his death or something along those lines.

People have been known to have had bad things happen to them passing that particular cemetery at night like sharp objects being hurled at them, meat turning rotten, people not being able to find their way home even though the road to the quarters was in a straight line. And according to my neighbour almost everyone who had bad experiences there always smelt a sweet smelling scent and the temperature would drop considerably before bad things started to happen.

Our neighbour explained to my mom, that we were lucky nothing worse happened to us. The evil that lurked there was probably satisfied to indulge in the blood from the meat that we bought and didn't really bother us all that much. The neighbour said that if we had to buy meat, make sure we do it in the day time and not anytime after 6pm. But if we had to buy meat at night, make sure we had a sharp silver object like a knife with us cos it would keep the evil at bay.

But I don't think my mom wanted to try that theory out cos from that day onwards, all our shopping were done way before the sun went down. It's better to be safe than sorry. In fact, after that incident I don't recall us ever going out anywhere after 6pm. Besides, these days with low interest cards, shopping online would be a safer bet ... hehehe ... But it really was a spooky experience. I was around 3-4 years old that time and imagine having to walk along a narrow road with no streetlights and with cemeteries just by the road. The place was pitch dark, surrounded by an umbrella of thick leaves and trees, all kinds of sounds from the night in the background and the beam of our torchlight was all that we had to see by.

I was so happy when we left that godforsaken place when I was around 6 years old and moved back to the city. But I do wonder if the place still exists and if those cemeteries are still there and whether the evil and spookiness still exists. Port Dickson has gone through tremendous development changes that I wouldn't be at all surprised if they relocated the cemeteries and built some condominiums in its place. I'll bet the residents there would have some interesting tales to tell :D Maybe I'll visit the place one of these days ...
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44 comments:

  1. "The neighbour said that if we had to buy meat, make sure we do it in the day time and not anytime after 6pm. But if we had to buy meat at night, make sure we had a sharp silver object like a knife with us cos it would keep the evil at bay."

    I'm guessing there's a more logical explanation...perhaps when it gets darker, the dogs come out to play, and meet attracts them? Possibly in the old days, you get other animals too attracted to the smell of the meat. :-)

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  2. Actually it happend in my kampung too..never ever buy a red meat and passed a grave after 6pm, or else the meat will be spoiled too..scary-mary!!
    When we were a kids, we did play at the chinese grave as well..crazy huh!! But we were stupid kids back then..hehehe

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  3. Gallivanter - Yeah, you do have a point there. I've believe in the supernatural but always think there are logical explanations but then how did the meat that we bought get rotten, on two occasions at that. Somethings just bewilder me ... :)

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  4. Kadus Mama - Glad I'm not the only one who experienced it :D The meat was practically rotten by the time we reached home.

    Playing in the cemetery was kinda fun actually, in the day time that is ... LOL!

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  5. at first i read this post, by put my hand at the back like your banner.. and then i have to put my eye closer.. i dunno why, but i like getting excite with the story..
    it kinda spooky really..

    ever thought to try it again? :D

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  6. When you write, there's really no stopping you... hehe. I had to make 2 mugs of coffee to go with the story!

    Remind me never to buy meat and pass by any cemeteries at night... not that I ever do anyway! Yikes!

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  7. Izzat - That's the thing with me too. I'm a huge coward but somehow, I get intrigued by the supernatural ...

    Nope, I don't think I wanna try it again ... LOL!

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  8. Nessa - What, only two mugs? LOL! Nope, once I get started I can't seem to stop. It's a 'gift' la ... LOL!

    That would be a great idea. Trust me when I say it's true cos I saw that rotten meat with my own eyes la ... and it's really creepy!

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  9. You like the paranormal shows? Have you seen the new one called Fringe? It's pretty good. I love watching Paranormal State, have you seen that one?

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  10. That is wild! I thought spirits of people who embraced the Hindu religion would be peaceful, relaxed and busy working their way through incarnations; not hanging around the cemetery waiting for some family to happen by with fresh meat to taint. But, what do I know?

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  11. I saw the words Hindu graves somewhere and quickly skipped ahead he he! Night time mah! ;)

    Btw, guess what la? YUP! You’ve been tagged, have fun! :)
    Tag

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  12. this reminds me of a similar story my friend told me when they had a huge kenduri and they had to bring a ton of meat back to where the kenduri was held which was deep practically inside a jungle. what happened was that a pontianak actually went after their car and they had to throw some meat away. i have no idea how true the story is but it's scary anyhoot.

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  13. Hey Nick..
    yeah, when having fun, time goes so fast. when i'm sitting in front of my laptop, updating and browsing blog... i don't realize time just goes like that. but when i start to read my case law, 5 minutes feel so long. :)

    really, supernatural experience? you should watsh tv series called Supernatural - more supernatural to be experienced. :)

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  14. Wah, you sure have spooky stories!

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  15. Tammy - Yeah, I love paranormal shows. One of my favourites is Taps. Unfortunately they don't air the shows that you mentioned over here. Well, not yet anyway ...

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  16. MsBaby - First of all, welcome to my blog :D

    Well, maybe not all of them are as relaxed as we'd like them to be ... LOL!

    But seriously though, what happened was real and I cannot offer any other explanation for it ...

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  17. Marzie - Hahaha, I had a feeling you'd give this a miss.

    I'll come check out the tag. Hope it's not too difficult :D

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  18. Syura - Chased by Pontianaks? Wow, that is freaky, real or otherwise. Just like a scene from a movie.

    But after what happened to us, I wouldn't discount the fact that it's true. I've got more tales about jungles and evil spirits which I will post soon ... hehehe ...

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  19. Faizal - Nice to see you here :) Yup, that's the way life works. When you're having fun, time works on overdrive otherwise it crawls to a snails pace ... siggghhh ...

    I've only watched that show once or twice, somehow I can't quite relate to it just yet. Maybe I should give it another try :D

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  20. BT - Back then things were so much more scarier than today. There were a lot more secluded and dark areas compared to the concrete jungle of today :D

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  21. Well Im glad you made it out of there...I'd hate to be scared to leave my house after 6pm.

    Weekends really do go way tooooooo fast!

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  22. Hahaha I did what Marzie did too. :P

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  23. Meleah - I'm glad I left the place too. I don't think I could take all the crazy stuff that happened there ... LOL!

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  24. Rozella - You and Marzie betul-betul pengecut la ... LOL!

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  25. OMG! That is super duper scary!!! I cannot imagine myself actually able to walk pass not one but 3 cemeteries at NITE! Gosh! Ur mom is a brave lady.

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  26. Me and 3 friends stayed at the KTM quarters in Port Dickson in 1980. It was dirt cheap (can't recall rate but musta been RM5 a nite). I didn't see anything but from the start got bad vibes and decided to leave after one night. The other three stayed another nite but also didn't feel good about the place. Sorry no drama to share.

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  27. You certainly have had some weird experiences Nick. The spirit world must be very attracted to you. Love these kind of stories and want to hear more of them.

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  28. Jen - I guess one had to be brave when passing 4 cemeteries was the only way out of the place ... hehehe ...

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  29. Dano - You know, a lot of quarters and rest houses in PD do have some kind of history and they're not always good.

    Once a bunch of friends and me stayed over at this place called the Lutheran house and the place was so spooky that we took turns standing outside the bathroom door while the other took his bath ...

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  30. Gypsy - Well, if I had a choice, I'd rather it bugged someone else ... LOL!

    I've got a few more that I will write about soon :D

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  31. I ever heard of this story too.
    Yup, it's spooky alright.
    I'll try to remember not to pass by any cemeteries if i ever need to buy meat past 6pm.

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  32. Hie Nick, I've heard of this taboo myself too - not to buy meat and pass by a cemetery at night. Seriously, that's like a no-no rule for anyone and most of the villagers will definitely frown at you for doing it. It seems that it will attract some unwanted attention and harm could come to you! Thank God nothing happened to you and your mom that time:)

    There's always spooky stories and also a list of dont's whenever you pass by a cemetery particularly after the sunset hours.

    I always am interested in such stories; but like you, I have that scaredy streak these days too (didn't feel that when I was a kid:p)
    I have another blog which I share on supernatural stories or interesting taboos believed/practiced by people around the world:P)
    Feel free to drop by and read...if you like (don't worry, I don't spook that much yet...;)
    http://starry-starrynight.blogspot.com

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  33. What is it with meat that attract 'them' so badly?? hmm, last time i wanted to 'tapau' back my leftover lambchop but my friend forced me to wallap everything coz it might be 'dangerous'.

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  34. Hmmm. I'd stay well clear of cemeteries at night time! Funnily enough I used to 'hang about' in one in my younger days. Not now. The thought of it gives me the creeps!

    But I do enjoy reading your supernatural stories.

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  35. Nick!!! Think u can get avoid the handbag tag is it? Tsk tsk tsk...of course guys can do the tag oso he he...if u noticed, there's a mention for guys. (If you're a guy just reverse this process to male and tell us about your wallet, tool box, briefcase or metro sexual accessory.)

    So what's it gonna be? A metro sexual accessory? He he he!!


    PS. YAY! Rozella oso scaredy cat eh? Got friend! :D

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  36. Carol - It is spooky. Thank god they don't build hypermarts near cemeteries other have to shop in the morning only ... LOL!

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  37. Christy - You mean there is a list? I'd sure like to know what that list is so I can be prepared the next time I have to pass any cemeteries ... LOL!

    I'll come check that spooky blog of yours soon. I'm always game for a good spooky story :D

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  38. Gina - I don't know la, I think maybe it's the fresh blood that's in the meat that probably makes it look attractive to 'them' ...

    I agree with your friend, better safe that sorry ... LOL!

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  39. The World According To Me - Same here, I used to sit on the tombs and even played hide and seek in cemeteries when I was a kid.

    I suppose as we grow older, we understand things better and that freaks the hell out of us ... LOL!

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  40. Marzie - Darn, I thought I could get away with that one ... LOL! Actually I think I missed that part where it said I could reverse the process ... hehehe ...

    Ok, ok, I'll get this tag done :D But my wallet no hope la, empty with no money inside la, maybe my tool box :D

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  41. Tool box it is then! Spice it up if u have to, u know... to entertain me he he! ;)

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  42. Okay, your story here, send cold chill down my neck!

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  43. Marzie - LOL! I've taken a pix of my tool box already so this will be up over the weekend (I hope) ... hehehe ...

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